HOUSING SHORTAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19040, 10 June 1925, Page 10

HOUSING SHORTAGE.

NEEDS OF CHRISTCHURCH. FURTHER STATE ADVANCE. . v COUNCIL TO URGE ITS CLAIMS. [BY XELKGEAPH. —OWN •CORRESPONDENT, j CIBRISTCHUECH. Tuesday. After discussion on the question of securing a grant for housing purposes the City Council decided that the Mayor, Rev. J. K. Archer, should wait on the Prime Minister to urge consideration of the claims of Christchurch.

With reference to the council's application for a further advance, Sir Francis Bell wrote stating that ho had communicated with the superintendent of the State Advances Department, who had reported that if the department had the funds available for investment it would be a pleasure to him to ask the board of the office to entertain the application, but there were in the office a very large number of individual applications for loans to build houses, received since the beginning of the year 1924, still waiting to be entertained. Before any fresh applications such as that of the Christchurch City Council could be dealt with it was necessary, that the applications in hand should be provided for. The Advances Office therefore was unable to deal with the application. -

Speaking, with referenco to an interview with Sir Francis Bell recently Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M. P., said lie thought he had good grounds for making the statement at a previous meeting of the council, that some of the motiey would bo available. He could only conclude that the position had been rendered difficult the Wet that since he had interviewed Sir I'rancis Bell an application had been made by the Wellington City Council for £IOO,OOO. The position in Wellington , was acute. He thought it was a pity that they did not have accurate information as to the housing position in Christchurch. He did not want to advocate borrowing £50,000 unless the need really existed. Personally he believed it did exist.